Strictly business – May 22, 2015

Little Flower Haven, the nonprofit assisted living facility owned and operated by the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, recently announced that it will close permanently by June 30.

The facility, which occupies several historic buildings on a 4.2-acre campus at 8585 La Mesa Blvd., is affiliated with the Diocese of San Diego and is led by Sister Maria Carmelita Navarro. First established in 1938, the facility expanded several times over the years to include a large garden and a public chapel. In addition to the standard services provided by assisted living facilities — meals, laundry, housekeeping, etc. — Little Flower Haven also provided daily Mass and rosary in an on-site chapel.

An article in The Southern Cross, the Diocese of San Diego’s official newspaper, said Little Flower Haven had the capacity to house up to 85 residents but was serving just 37 residents as of early May. The facility had 31 employees and seven religious sisters. The sisters will relocate to another assisted living facility operated by their community in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to the Southern Cross article.

In addition to serving its residents, Little Flower Haven also provided meeting space for several other religious groups as well as prayer and worship space for local residents.

Little Flower Haven had not responded to a request for comment by press time.

Hobby Lobby opens in La Mesa

Hobby Lobby, the national retail chain of craft supply and home décor stores, opened a store in La Mesa on May 4 in the space formerly occupied by Anna’s Linens at 8810 Grossmont Blvd. The shopping center is also home to Toys R Us, Walmart Neighborhood Market and Ross.

The La Mesa store is Hobby Lobby’s first in San Diego County. Based in Oklahoma City, Hobby Lobby owns approximately 650 stores across the U.S. The nearest store is in Temecula. The company plans to open another store in San Marcos later this year.

“We feel blessed for the fantastic opportunity to be a part of this community,” John Schumacher, Hobby Lobby’s assistant vice president of advertising, said in a press release.

The 43,000-square-foot La Mesa Hobby Lobby store is a bit smaller than the company’s average of 55,000 square feet. The store carries floral, fabric, needle art, jewelry-making, scrapbooking and other art and crafting supplies. It also offers custom framing and hosts regular crafting classes.

Like all Hobby Lobby locations, the store is closed on Sundays. Hours throughout the rest of the week are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 619-464-1795 or visit hobbylobby.com for more information.

Two local Albertsons stores convert to Haggen

Haggen, a regional grocery chain based in Oregon and Washington, has acquired two La Mesa-area grocery stores from Albertsons and is in the process of rebranding them as Haggen stores. (Haggen rhymes with Reagan, for those unfamiliar with the brand.)

The Albertsons store at 3681 Avocado Blvd. was converted to Haggen on May 14, and the store at 5630 Lake Murray Blvd. will be converted by the last week of May.

“We’re excited about the changes we’re making to enhance these stores with more locally sourced food offerings, genuine service and homemade quality, and we’re confident customers will like the new look, convenience and value offered at our new Haggen one-stop, full service grocery destinations,” Bill Shaner, CEO of Haggen’s Pacific Southwest division, said in a press release.

The two acquisitions are part of a broader national deal that involved Albertsons’ sale to Haggen of 146 grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and California. Haggen acquired 21 stores from Albertsons in San Diego County.

Free county fair tickets for teachers

Mission Federal Credit Union, which has a branch at 5500 Grossmont Center Drive No. 113, is offering two free tickets to the San Diego County Fair to every teacher and school district employee in the region. Educators can claim their tickets, which will be valid only on June 19 or June 26, by visiting a Mission Federal Credit Union branch and presenting their school identification, a recent pay stub or a valid teaching credential.

Alvarado Hospital honored for patient safety, excellence

Alvarado Hospital was among the 467 hospitals across the U.S. who were awarded a 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award by Healthgrades. The award was based on claims data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services as well as data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Only three other hospitals in the San Diego region received the award — Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla and Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest.

Alvarado Hospital also received the 2015 Distinguished Hospital Award, which Healthgrades gives to all hospitals rated in the top 5 percent in the U.S. based on the lowest risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates across at least 21 of 32 common conditions and procedures.